Cuts Watch #370: Refugee advice services

The UK Border Agency will cut advice services for refugees and asylum seekers by more than 60 per cent from April. Charities such as the Refugee Council will lose substantial direct funding and the UKBA’s Refugee Integration and Employment Services (help with housing and employment, provided via the charities) will be scrapped. Donna Covey, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said that “cuts this deep will not only devastate the organisations that provide asylum seekers with a lifeline, but will a have a serious and lasting impact on the wider voluntary and public sector.”

Written by Richard Exell

I am the TUC’s Senior Policy Officer covering social security, tax credits and labour market issues, including the debates about the European social model and labour market flexibility. I also represent the TUC on the Industrial Injuries Advisor…

I do not see why would anyone introduce such a drastic cut. 60% is much more than any organisation dealing with refugees could cope with. Yeah, let’s just leave asylum seekers to take care of themeselves on their own, who needs ngo’s there! I am afraid this is the kind of policy we may regret really soon.